Intermedius sand hap

Tramitichromis intermedius

Also known as Lethrinops intermedius

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.5–8.5
Adult size: 6.3 in (16 cm)
Minimum tank: 79 gal (300 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Malawi
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a peaceful sand sifting Malawi hap, best kept as one male with several females and given a broad, open sand floor to work. It feeds by taking mouthfuls of sand and filtering out small invertebrates, so a soft, non sharp substrate is essential and open floor space matters more than rock. It is too gentle for a rowdy mbuna tank; house it instead with other calm species such as peacocks, utaka, and similar haps. A group is comfortable in a tank of around 300 liters or more with plenty of floor area. Feed sinking pellets and frozen foods such as brine shrimp and bloodworm, and let it forage over the sand between feeds.

In the wild

The intermedius sand hap lives over the shallow, sandy floors of sheltered bays in southern Lake Malawi, sifting the sand for food. Recreate that with a deep bed of soft, rounded sand, plenty of open floor, and only light rockwork around the edges. Its water should be hard and alkaline like the lake, at 24–27 C and about pH 7.5–8.5, kept clean and stable as these rift lake fish prefer.

Good to know

Tramitichromis intermedius is a member of the family Cichlidae reaching about 16 centimeters, a sand dwelling hap once placed in the genus Lethrinops. The two genera are separated on fine details of the jaws and feeding apparatus that suit them to sifting sand. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and it spawns with moderate difficulty in a calm, suitable setup.

Did you know

It feeds like a living sieve, taking a mouthful of sand and passing it out through the gills so the grit falls away and only the small buried animals are kept and swallowed.

Tank mates

Intermedius sand hap is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.